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Clean Out Your Pantry

When
I started with my healthy and clean eating lifestyle my focus wasn’t that much
on eating clean but just on eating healthy. I was trying to avoid products like
white bread, white pasta etc., fatty and high-calorie foods and foods that
contain lots of sugar. And I can really recommend for you to do the same! By
taking small steps instead of changing drastically you and your body gets used
to the healthier foods and lifestyle and since you are allowed to have some
cheats the change of relapsing is smaller. But when I noticed that eating
healthy suited me and my lifestyle (in which I already worked out for 2-3 times
a week) so much better I started to learn more about the type of foods and
really expanded my knowledge about food and the nutritional value of different
products. So automatically I learned more about the do’s and don’ts of a clean
eating lifestyle. So it’s important to realize that it isn’t just happening
over night, but that it is a process which takes time and that’s okay! You
learn more and more every day and I’m still learning!

After
increasing my knowledge on healthy foods and clean eating I took the time to
read the ingredients to each of the items in my pantry. This was really an
eye-opener and it will give a great overview of what you have been eating. Even
products of which I thought that they were healthy actually contained high
amounts of sugar and saturated fats. Additionally, I found lots of ingredients
that I didn’t know or that I could not pronounce and lots of food additives
(for the Dutchies: E-nummers). So, take a look in your pantry and I’m sure that
you also have some items like this lying around! This is the result of the
modern world we live in. Stores sell lots of produced foods which are easy for
us to take home and eat whilst not paying attention to what made and is in those
cookies and why the expiration date isn’t till one year later? Whilst when you
make your own cookies they will be good for max one week.

Are
you ready to adopt a clean eating lifestyle? Start by cleaning out your pantry
by reading the ingredients. Make a pile with foods that do not suit your new
found lifestyle and a pile that do. This second pile goes right back into your
pantry. But what to do with the first pile of items that aren’t that suitable? You
can drastically toss the food out. But who can afford that? You spend money on
it and maybe others who don’t eat clean can use them. So you can donate them to
friends, families or neighbors! In this way the food doesn’t get lost and you
actually make others happy! Who doesn’t want to do that?

But
there will also be foods that you still want to consume and just don’t want to
give away and hold on to. For those foods I would suggest that, of course, you
don’t buy these anymore and that you slowly use these items week by week as a ‘cheat
meal’ every Friday. Or you can host a dinner party for friends and use these
items. In this way you have a lovely and fun evening and you can clean out your
pantry at the same time! For baking products that do not fit clean eating you
can still use it and bake something delicious and then take it with you to work
as a little treat for you and your colleagues during coffee break. I’m sure
they will appreciate it!

I
myself decided to give most of the products away and I invited some
friends and prepared my last meal with processed
foods.

So
now your pantry is clean and it is time for the next step! In short, simply
start off with finding some delicious healthy recipes and getting lots of fresh
fruits, vegetables and lean meats like chicken, turkey and fish (all preferable
organic). Keep an eye out for healthy items on sale like frozen vegetables and
fruits to save money and by having these items in your freezer you will always
have a healthy option! But, when you go to the store CHECK THE LABELS!! Make sure
you are just getting the fruit and just the vegetables without additional sugar
or food additives.

But
in the upcoming week I will also publish a post on what type of items are in my
pantry right now (with, for the Dutchies, the brands I use since I get a lot of
questions regarding type and brands) and additionally I will post a beginners
shopping list to assist you all on your clean eating journey! So check the blog
later this week if you’re interested!

If
you have any suggestions or questions don’t hesitate to leave a comment!